Pelosi: Dems Should Skip Convention to Campaign

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi says Democratic congressmen should shun the party’s convention, so that they can campaign in their home districts instead of spending Sept. 3-6 in Charlotte.

“I’m not encouraging anyone to go to the convention, having nothing to do with anything except I think they should stay home, campaign in their districts, use their financial and political resources to help them win their election,” she told Politico.

New York Rep. Steve Israel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, made the same point last month.

Pelosi said that given the incumbency of President Barack Obama, House members don’t need to show up at the convention. “We nominated a president last time,” she said.

“We’re very proud of him. There certainly will be enough people there to express that pride, but I’m not encouraging members to go to the convention no matter what the situation was, because they can be home. It’s campaign time. It’s the first week in September.”

As for her own status, Pelosi didn’t guarantee that she will seek a leadership position again in the next Congress. “I wouldn’t assume anything,” she said. “I would just assume that Democrats would win and we would stop the obstruction of the president’s agenda. I think it’s fair to say that most people don’t have the faintest idea about leadership races in the Congress.”

Not surprisingly, Pelosi went after Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney — this time for his reluctance to reveal more tax returns. “The American people seem to want to know,” she said.

But Pelosi had a different take when asked if she would release her own tax returns to show Democrats are more transparent. “When I run for president, I will,” Pelosi said.